Saddle



(No Model.)

SADDLE.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

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Nrrn TATES FFICE.

ATENT shDoLE.

SPECIFICATIONiox-zning part of Letters Patent No. 288,026, datedNovember 6, 188?.

t Application filed May 17,1883. (No model.)

: @513 whom it stay concern;

Be it known that I, MERLIN COMSTOCK, of

Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Saddles, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to theannexed draw ings, forming part of this specification. This inventionrelates to ridingsaddles; and it consists of the novel constructionhereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the frame-work of aside-saddle emrate bowed )ieces B flattened on to 3 and conmaterial.

nected together by side pieces, 0; or the said pieces may be formed ofone continuous piece.

To the ends of the bowed pieces,.or to the corners of the tree A, arehinged a pair of pads, D, made'preferably ofnarrow strips of springsteelE, secured to curved cross=pieces F in such manner as to give the underside of the pads a convex surface. The pads are intended to be facedwith leather or other suitable The cross-pieces F, by which the pads arehinged to the tree, are secured to the strips E,with intervening rubbercushions, G, in order that a great degree of flexibility shallbesec-ured to the said strips, whereby they may shape corresponding tothe animals back.

The strips I are arranged side by side, and have their forward endsstraight, while their rear ends are curved downward and secured to asupport, K, underneath the same. Ihave shown the seat supported at therear on bowed springs L, which project rearward and have their endsattached to the tree and seat, re spectively, and between these ends,attached either to the seat or tree, is a rubber cushion, M, adapted toprevent the seat from being forcibly depressed against the tree. Theforward end of theseat is supported on two bowed springs, N, whichextend to either side, and serve also as horns for a side-saddle.Aspiral spring, O,mayalsobe arrangedbetweentheseat and tree at theforward end, and 'toprevent the seat from being accidentallyliitedagainst the tension ofthe springs, it is connected to the tree by astrap, I. To support the seat at the sides, two pairs of spring-braces,Q, are extended from the front and rear, respectively, of the tree topoints of attachment R on the sides of the seat. When the seat is to beused for a side-saddle, a curved back, S, is to be attached to the rearand front of the seat-rim by movable bolts. To the front of this back isat-' tached a horn-piece, T, which is adapted to fit between the springsN when said springs are used, and which will serve to provide a hornwhen said springs are not used. The back Sis also provided with awire orcord, U, extending across from one end to the other on theinside, andresting approximately on the top of the seat. To this wire and the outeredge of the seatback a coveringv for the cushion of the seat is to beattached. To one of the springsNis attach ed an adjustable guard orunder horn, V, to be used in side-saddles. v I

By removing the back S and turning the springs N forward until theymeet, a frameflV, carrying a horn, Y, may be placed across the forwardend of the seat and secured to the tree in any detachable manner,toconvert the sidesaddle into a mans saddle.

I design also to make side-saddles and mens saddles separate as well asin one, and shall also construct spring-seats adapted for being attachedto any ordinary saddletree.

While preferring the construction of the seat as above described fort-hebest class of saddles, I may make cheaper seats by using 2 r I assumedesired,- making the body of the seat in any required manner.

I do not mean to limit myself to the abovedescribed arrangement of thesprings for supporting the seat, since the same general result may beaccomplished with other arrangements equally as simple and convenient.

The girth and stirrup-straps are to be at tached, respectively, to thetree and seat, as

the supporting-rim J with the strips I, of

\ spring-steel, secured thereto at their ends, and

having their rear endscurved under the sup porting-springs and theSaddletree, substair tially as shown and described.

8. The combination, with the tree and seat,

of the bowed springs N, adapted to be turned either to the front or tothe sides,whereby the seat may be adapted for a side-saddle or a manssaddle, as specified.

4. The combination, with the saddle-tree and the seat, of the springs LN at the rear and front, and the spring-braces Q, connecting the sidesof the seat at their center with the ends of the tree, substantially asshown and described.

5. The combination, with the seat, of the removable back having ahorn-piece secured to its forward end, and the wire or cord extendingfrom one end to the other and adapted to rest upon the seat,substantially as shown and described. V

6. The combination, with the seat and tree, of the springs N, adapted toform horns, and the removable and adjustable guard or under hornattached to one of said springs, substantially. as shown and described.

MERLIN COMSTOCK.

\Vitnesses: V

HENRY VANDER LEcK, G. A. DoBINsoN.

